Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-31
TRAIN ROBBERY Cases.
The Cases Of the Alleged Train Rob-
bers Come Vi Before the United
States Commissioner.
Testimony OF the Route Agent, Cen.
ductOr and Express Messenger
Amount of Booty Secured.
Some Important Points Brought OCT By
the sheriff of Williamson County
Who Arrested Barbour,
Special to the Gazette.

special 70 the GaZeJLe.
AUSTIN, TEX, May 30-The alleged
train robber cases came up before United
States Commissioner Ruggles to-day.
Mr.. Buck Walton, representing the pris-
oners, asked whether the government in
tended 10 use Buckley as q witness or
not. Stuart, the government assistant
attorney, said he did not know. Joe
Barbour of Williamson county was put
on Trial, q severance having been granted
between the two Crafts and the two
USserys. Following are some OF the
points in the testimony, which was
lengthy:
S. X. Spauding, route agent-The mail
was detained on the 18th
inst. at Mcneil station, per
haps twenty minutes. 1t was a few
minutes before 10 o'clock in the evening.
Mcneil is regular stopping place. The
porter started to go forward as usual TO
flag us on the crossing. He and the con-
duc.or were ordered back, and the traiu
was held, suppose, for the purpose Of
robbing the express car. II vas the
north bound train. We usually stop
about five minutes. The first intimatiOn
had of anything wrong was Gn order to
get back into the car. This was followed
immediately by shots. l lay down for
g couple Of minutes. a man then
came up and ordered me to
open the door with the order, Hands
up. No monkey business and you'n not
be hurt" Another man came up end they
asked if any one else was il the car. Mr..
Woods then came forward. One of them
said, Hand ovel your cash, boys" We
told him we had none. He sSid: "Hsve
you any registers?" or " Hand over your
registers" l told him we had none as
the day train carried them. He replied
Well, we don't want them anyway. it's
Jay Gould we sre touching Tonight"
don't think l ever saw the defendant
before to-day; don't think l could
fec6gnize any of tue robbers. The Coun-
try around Mcneil is very rocky and I'M
even. The timber is small underground,
l should Call it. saw revolver when
the man told me to come to the door. He
had it directed toward me The man who
said he did not want the registers was
not armed.
Cross examined-Mr. L. S. Woods
was on the car with me. None Of them
entered the car. 1t was mail car No. sc.
The mail was in both ends of the car.
The men appeared ct the door on
the side. was ordered to
walk up to the door. 1t was after they
came back from the express car that they
asked about the registers. The one who
ordered me to throw open the door W Mt
to the rear end of the train, leaving one
CT two with US. This man was the one
who asked about the registers. 1t was
still another one who said he did not
want the registers. l saw five men in
front of my door at one time.
Hswkins-I am q Missouri Pacific Rail
way conductor. 1 was in charge of the
train that WAS stopped at Mcneil.
The train was surrounded by
ten or twelve armed men. 1t was $3.50 p.
m. Our regular stopping time is 1928,
usually for one minute. We were de-
tanned thirty minutes. They took the
engineer and fireman off and sent them
to the smoking-car. l saw the porter
scuffling with two men and started to-
ward them with my pistol in my hand. |
met man with q Winchester who or
dered me to drop my pistol. l did so,
when it went off, and he fred at me.
retreated, and as l did so was fired at
aga n. They kept yelling st
luC ~ hCCP LACl1 ACIuS III bLC
car, and now and then firing their guns
off. l don't think l could recognize any
of them. They broke into the express
car and robbed it.
Cross-ex aminstion-Thi was on the
night of the I9 h. The defendant looks
very much like the man who had the rife
onme. lie had on white hat and cost.
Teould not say positively that this is the
ht-E 80 ahn he 60
and general appearance. l was about
three feet from the man.
A. j. Northaker-I live at Denison.
am with the Pacific Express Company
running on trains Nos l and 2. l had
charge of the express and baggage on the
train that was rObted. 1t WAS robbed CT
$4,000 in currency, silver and gold, and
about $4,000 in pay checks of the railway
company. l don't know the values Of the |
currency.
lamson county. | know the defendant. |
have known him about three years |
arrested him last Saturday for Iobbing |
the train st Mcneil After the robbery 1 |
went to the scene. 1t was
about the 18th or the 10th.
We struck out to hunt for a trail and |
SIIuCh Ou6s we uISt lOuuu SOIUG IOOL- |
tracks, then some horse tracks. We
trailed them to where the horses had been
tied about 100 yards from the depot. l
found where q small fire had been ,
built. 1t seemed that they had
unched there. There was q greasy stick
and also part of copy of the William
son County Sun of May 5 with the name
Of l. J. Barbour on it. The tracks were
Ill fresh, and the indications were
hat the camp was Of the
night before. We came to another
lamp about mile of, where they left
rail and some money packages. The
rail was northwesterly and would take
rs west of Georgetown. The county is
rough. We picked up the packages and
SO or 81 in silver. We followed the
rail ABOUT mile further and
{ seemed to split up. The prisoner is
ION of l. j. Barbour. When / arrested
he prisoner l told him what arrested
lin for-the robbery. He asked me for
ny papers. told him to be in 8 hurry,
hat 1t was getting late and I hadn't